British Army 1st Artillery Brigade Units Take Part in Exercise Dynamic Front in Germany

Some 900 troops and more than 300 vehicles from 1st Artillery Brigade units are taking part in Exercise Dynamic Front at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in southern Germany.

Dynamic Front 18 is a U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR)-led exercise focusing on the integration of joint fires and allied artillery interoperability at the Grafenwoehr Training Area (Germany), Feb. 23 – March 10, 2018. The exercise will feature approximately 3,700 participants from 26 allied and partner nations.

The gunners are working side-by-side with their international partners across all artillery capabilities, from identifying strategic targets to tactical units firing guns in the field. A key aim is to develop digital communications to allow different nations’ gunnery systems to link up with each other, which should enable faster, more-effective fire missions.

The exercise has also demonstrated the British Army’s ability to deploy troops and equipment swiftly and efficiently hundreds of miles from their bases in the UK to participate in the training.

This year, Dynamic Front also incorporated joint and multinational close-air support (CAS), provided by U.S. and Czech air force fighter planes. U.S. rotational units in Europe provided both operational staff and live-firing units, and the U.S. Army National Guard provided a field artillery brigade headquarters to work alongside the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.

The Dynamic Front series is an important piece of U.S. Army Europe’s training and exercise program, conducted by the 7th Army Training Command. In addition to annually conducting a dozen large-scale exercises in the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Area, the 7th ATC also conducts and supports hundreds of readiness events throughout Europe alongside Allies and partners.